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Auto Racing Glance

[November 01, 2018] MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES: AAA TEXAS 500 (334 laps, 501 miles around a 1.5-mile D-shaped oval), Texas Motor Speedway; Fort Worth, Texas

TV: Sunday, 3 p.m. ET (Green flag approx. 3:16 p.m. ET) - NBCSN (Radio: Performance Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90).

THIS WEEK: Joey Logano punched the first ticket to championship race at Homestead with a thrilling - and controversial - victory at Martinsville on Sunday, bumping Martin Truex Jr. on the final turn and skating by him. Playoff intensity is evident. ... The top four among the Round of 8 drivers looks fairly secure, with Truex and Kevin Harvick holding a 25-point lead over fifth-place Kurt Busch. A win by any of the bottom four at Texas or Phoenix would shake things up. ... Up this Sunday is Texas, a fast 1.5-mile track where passing is at a premium at the front. ... This is the 34th of 36 races on the season, and is the 36th series race at Texas. ... Harvick won this race last fall, with Kyle Busch winning here in the spring. ... Kurt Busch is the only driver in the bottom four to have won at Texas, winning the fall race in 2009. ... Kyle Busch leads the points in his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (4,104 points, second in the standings), followed by JGR's Martin Truex Jr. (4,083, third), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford driver Harvick (4,083, fourth), Team Penske Ford driver *Logano (4,074, first), SHR's Kurt Busch (4,058, fifth), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet driver Chase Elliott (4,052, sixth), SHR's Clint Bowyer (4,041, seventh), and SHR's Aric Almirola (4,033, eighth).

(All stats and standings per NASCAR.com)

*Denotes race win and berth in the championship race.

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES: O'REILLY AUTO PARTS CHALLENGE (200 laps, 300 miles around a 1.5-mile D-shaped oval), Texas Motor Speedway; Fort Worth, Texas

TV: Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET (Green flag approx. 4:46 p.m. ET) - NBC (Radio: Performance Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90).

THIS WEEK: The series opened its Round of 8 at Kansas and no playoff driver won, then took a week off. So it's on to Texas with each of those eight drivers looking for a win and guaranteed spot in the championship race at Homestead on Nov. 17. ... Texas Motor Speedway is a track similar to Kansas, both 1.5 mile D-shaped ovals, but don't expect Christopher Bell, Justin Allgaier, Austin Cindric and Cole Custer to get caught up in a first-lap wreck like they did two weeks ago. ... This is the 31st of 33 races on the season and the 36th series race at Texas. ... Full-time Cup driver Ryan Blaney won here in the spring and fellow Cup driver Erik Jones won the fall race last year. ... Daniel Hemric leads the points (3,067), followed by Elliott Sadler (3,058), Tyler Reddick (3,055), Bell (3,045), Matt Tifft (3,044), Allgaier (3,040), Custer (3,022) and Cindric (3,002).

(All stats and standings per NASCAR.com)

NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES: JAG METALS 350 (147 laps, 220.5 miles [354.86 kilometers] around a 1.5-mile D-shaped oval), Texas Motor Speedway; Fort Worth, Texas

TV: Friday, 8:30 p.m. ET (Green flag approx. 8:46 p.m. ET) - FS1 (Radio: Performance Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90).

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THIS WEEK: Johnny Sauter won at Martinsville last week, ensuring himself a spot in the Homestead finale on Nov. 16 as the Round of 6 continues this week at Texas before heading to Phoenix for the final race in the round. ... This will be the 42nd series race at Texas, with Sauter winning the races here last fall and this spring. ... No one needs to panic yet, as only 10 points separate last place and a finals berth. ... *Sauter leads the Truck points and standings (3,102), followed by Noah Gragson (3,073), Brett Moffitt (3,064), Grant Enfinger (3,051), Justin Haley (3,049) and Matt Crafton (3,041).

(All stats and standings per NASCAR.com)

*Denotes race win and berth in the championship race.

VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES

THIS WEEK: The 2019 season starts March 10 in St. Petersburg, Fla.

FORMULA ONE

THIS WEEK: Three men have won five or more F1 world championships, and Lewis Hamilton is the newest member of that exclusive club after his fourth-place finish at the Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday. ... His fifth title ties Hamilton with the legendary Argentinian Juan Manuel Fangio, with only Germany's Michael Schumacher ahead of them with seven, a mark that seems within reach for a 33-year-old driver in his prime and with four championships in five seasons. ... Hamilton is the only driver among the three to not win a title driving for Ferrari. Fangio won for four different manufacturers (Alfa-Romeo, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Maserati) from 1951-57, a record. ... Max Verstappen won at Mexico. ... The series takes a week off before heading to Brazil for the penultimate race of the season. ... Great Britain's Hamilton leads the standings and is the champion in his Mercedes (358 points), followed by Germany's Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari (294), Finland's Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari (236), Finland's Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes (227) and Belgium's Verstappen, Red Bull (216).

NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION

THIS WEEK: Las Vegas, the penultimate and 23rd event of the season crowned one champion and saw two of the other three pro classes gain clear favorites to win the title in two weeks at Pomona, Calif. ... Steve Torrence won at Vegas, his fifth victory in a row, and cruised to the championship in Top Fuel. ... Other winners at Vegas were J.R Todd in Funny Car, Bo Butner in Pro Stock and Hector Arana Jr. in Pro Stock Motorcycle. ... Torrence leads the Top Fuel standings and is the champion (2,718 points), with Clay Millican (2,487), Tony Schumacher (2,454), Leah Pritchett (2,394) and Brittany Force (2,302) rounding out the top five. ... Todd (2,553) leads Funny Car, with Robert Hight (2,479), Ron Capps (2,388), Tim Wilkerson (2,367) and Tommy Johnson Jr. (2,362) pursuing. ... Tanner Gray leads Pro Stock (2,583) followed by Jeg Coughlin Jr. (2,443), Erica Enders (2,434), Drew Skillman (2,413) and Vincent Nobile (2,404). ... In the tightest remaining championship battle, Matt Smith leads Pro Stock Motorcycle (2,479), followed by Eddie Krawiec (2,475), LE Tonglet (2,418), Arana (2,415) and Jerry Savoie (2,378).

--K. Lee Davis, Field Level Media

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